Between visits and now living here, London has given me plenty to eat and drink. Here’s a round-up of the London food, pub and theatre posts on the blog, with links to each one.
Historic pubs
- Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street was rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of 1666 and has dark, wood-panelled rooms that have barely changed since. Samuel Johnson and Charles Dickens are among the names linked to it.
Markets and food halls
- Borough Market, next to London Bridge, is one of the city’s oldest and best-known food markets. Go early to beat the lunchtime crowds.
- A Scotch egg at Fortnum & Mason on Piccadilly. Fortnum’s claims to have invented the Scotch egg in 1738.
- Dim sum at Harrods in Knightsbridge.
British classics
- A full English breakfast, with bacon, sausage, eggs, black pudding, beans, mushrooms and tomato.
- Smith’s, a seafood restaurant whose sign promises it’s “Famous for Fish”.
Restaurants
- Manteca in Shoreditch, an Italian restaurant known for fresh pasta and its nose-to-tail approach to meat. Book ahead.
A night in the West End
Dinner and a show is one of the best London evenings out:
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow at the Phoenix Theatre, my first West End show
- High Noon at the Harold Pinter Theatre
Getting in and out
- The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at Heathrow Terminal 3 is a great way to start a long flight if you have access.
Tips
- An Oyster card or contactless bank card works on the tube, buses and most trains, with daily fare caps.
- Many pubs stop serving food earlier than the bar closes, so check kitchen hours if you’re planning dinner.
- Popular restaurants and West End shows book up, especially at weekends, so reserve ahead.
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